1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a container for liquids, and more particularly to a container for liquids, adapted to hold a liquid using coloring matter and/or containing particulate or fibrous or similar additive elements, or a liquid the components of which are readily separated.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, mascara and the like are stored generally in a brush-carrying container, and applied to an object part of a body by using a brush fixed to a cap. However, as the time elapses, the components of the content of the container separate from each other. Consequently, components of a low viscosity gather in a central portion, into and out of which the brush is inserted and drawn, of a bottle, and components of a high viscosity are liable to be deposited on an inner surface of the bottle. In this condition, the content of the container cannot be even agitated by the brush since an opening of the container of this kind is small, and the liquid cannot be used even when the quantity thereof is satisfactorily large.
The known containers which have solved such problems include containers disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Publication Nos. 12681/1991 and 45623/1992.
Namely, the container for mascara and the like disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 12681/1991 is a container including a brush-carrying cap, and a substantially cylindrical bottle, the container being further provided with locking portions on a shaft of the brush, and an agitation member extending along a substantially cylindrical inner surface of the bottle, adapted to engage the locking portions when the brush is inserted into the bottle, and adapted to be turned when the cap is turned, scrape a deposited portion of the liquid from the inner surface of the bottle, deposit the liquid thus scraped from the same inner surface on the brush and stir the deposited liquid into the liquid in the bottle.
The cosmetics applicator-carrying container disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 45623/1992 includes a turning plate provided at a mouth portion of a container body so that the plate can be turned, a non-circular applicator-rod-inserting hole formed in a central portion of the turning plate, an applicator rod inserting cylinder provided on a lower side of the turning plate, an upper communication hole provided in the portion of the applicator rod inserting cylinder which is in the vicinity of an upper end thereof, a lower communication hole provided in the portion of the applicator rod inserting cylinder which is in the vicinity of a lower end thereof, an inclined plate provided in an annular storage portion formed between the container body and applicator rod inserting cylinder; adapted to be turned and transfer the cosmetics in the axial direction of the cylinder; and connected to the turning plate so that a turning force of the turning plate is transmitted to the inclined plate, a cap fitted around the mouth portion of the container body and provided with the applicator rod suspended from a lower surface of the cap, and an applicator attached to a free end portion of the applicator rod, the applicator rod being inserted slidably in the non-circular applicator-rod-inserting hole of the turning plate so that the applicator rod cannot be turned therein, the inclined plate being turned by a turning movement of the applicator rod.
It is preferable that a container for cosmetics, such as the mascara, a manicure liquid and the like be transparent so as to ascertain that a color of the cosmetics is beautiful, and so as to ascertain a residual quantity thereof. In recent years, lame-containing cosmetics and two-color marbled cosmetics have been becoming popular, it has come to be specially preferable that the container be transparent so that the content thereof can be seen.
However, when such containers as are disclosed in these two publications are made transparent, the cosmetics deposited sporadically, i.e., in a spotted state on the inner surface of the containers are seen through the walls of the container bodies since the scraping (by the agitation member disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 12681/1991) of such deposited cosmetics from the inner surface of the container body is not perfectly done. This spoils the beauty of the containers, so that there have not heretofore been a transparent container for such cosmetics as mentioned above.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and provides a container for liquids, capable of excellently carrying out the scraping of a liquid deposited on an inner surface of the container therefrom while excellently carrying out the agitation of the liquid, for example, a colored liquid stored in the container, and capable of ascertaining the kneaded condition of the liquid in the container and the quantity of used liquid.
A container for liquids of the present invention, including a container body in which at least a part of an inner surface thereof, which defines an inner space storing therein a liquid using coloring matter, such as a pigment and a dye and/or containing a particulate or fibrous or similar additive element, is formed of a curved surface having an arcuate cross-sectional shape and a transparency; and a wiper unit inserted and housed in a liquid storage portion of the container body so that the wiper unit can be turned, and having at least one wiper element which extends along the inner surface of the container body, and which can be turned in a circumferential direction along the curved inner surface, the wiper element being formed of a comparatively rigid base portion, and a wiper member fixed to the base portion, adapted to elastically contact the inner surface of the container body during a turning movement of the wiper and capable of substantially completely wiping off a liquid deposited on the curved inner surface.
In the container for liquids, the container body is preferably provided at an upper portion thereof with a cap capable of being put on and removed from the container body by turning, the wiper being adapted to be operated by at least one of cap-fitting and cap-removing turning movements.
The cap is preferably inserted into the interior of the container body and provided with a member for taking out a predetermined quantity of the liquid.
The wiper member is preferably formed of a soft synthetic resin or rubber. The liquid take-out member may be a cosmetics applicator.
The container body may be of the type which does not have an opening besides an opening, a diameter of which is smaller than that of a trunk portion of the container body, provided at an upper portion thereof, the wiper being inserted in a compressed or folded state from the opening into the interior of the container body and rendered capable of contacting the curved inner surface of the container body when the wiper is spread out.
The wiper unit is preferably formed as a unit by connecting plural wiper elements at lower or upper portions thereof to a wiper body by flexible members or hinges, the unit being thereby made foldable. Further, the wiper unit is preferably formed as a unit by connecting plural wiper elements at lower or upper portions thereof to a wiper body by a spring member, the unit being thereby made compressible.
The wiper member of the wiper unit is preferably engaged with the curved inner surface of the container body only when the curved inner surface is wiped therewith, and disengaged therefrom during the time other than the curved inner surface wiping time.
The liquid maybe a high-viscosity liquid. Further, the liquid may be a separated type liquid formed of not less than two kinds of liquids. The liquid may be cosmetics. The additive element may be a bubbly material, lame or microcapsules.
The wiper elements mentioned above can be manufactured by molding a base portion and a wiper member in a body or as two parts, or by insert molding.